


Things Remembered

by kaige68



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Arranged Marriage, Canonical Character Death, Community: 1_million_words, Consensual Underage Sex, Gift Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 18:39:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2862500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaige68/pseuds/kaige68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek reflects on the ceremonies that will have him fully married by the end of the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FairyNiamh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyNiamh/gifts).



> **Beta:** Haldoor gave me a read through, and Greengrrl gave me emergency lessons on tenses. Should there still be errors (and there will be), they are entirely my fault. The tenses beat the crap out of me.  
>  **Notes:** This was written for the wonderful Fairyniamh's Swap of Joy gift at . The request was: _Because of a childhood contract between Claudia and Talia. The Duo must marry. (Not under 10 and no older than… hmmm, the younger or the pair being 18. Eldest of the Duo no older than 30.) Rocky Start, Happy ending. (Think of the start of Swan Princess, for the type of love/hate relationship.)_ I have to confess to not knowing Swan Princess, and this is not completely what you asked for. I'm sorry, this is where my brain took the story. Apologies also for the lateness.  
>  This is AU with the canon death of two characters, but a predominantly alive Hale family. Werewolves are known.

Derek can’t really remember when he had to hide that he was a werewolf, that he came from a family of werewolves. As an adult, he knows the timeline, knows that his parents had been afraid for him starting school. He knows that there are still families and individuals out there, in the world somewhere, people who have to hide in order to get through, to get by. 

Derek can’t remember a time when it had been important that his family lived in the woods, alone together, with little outside contact. Can’t remember a time when his family intentionally shied away from the communities around them. He can’t remember a time when he should have been afraid to be who he was.

What Derek remembers, vividly, is the day he stood in the woods holding the hand of a heavily pregnant woman, promising to protect and honor the child she was about to have. He remembers it was eleven in the morning, and that the sun had warmed the air around them while the earth still smelled cool. He remembers his mother smiled down at him with pride, while his father nodded in emphasis to Derek's pledge. He remembers the woman, Claudia, took his hand and placed it on her belly, on the baby. And Derek remembers how Claudia's husband fidgeted while his mother's emissary spoke an excess of words that were beyond Derek’s vocabulary.

Derek remembers another day, almost eight years later, when he had stood in the same place in the woods, at the same time, with the same people. That time he had held tightly to the hand of the little boy. He remembers pledging that he would comfort and care for the boy. The boy pledged the same. He can clearly see, in his mind's eye, how no one had smiled much. He could smell the incurable sickness coming from Claudia, and the inevitability of grief from her husband. He remembers that his mother had been proud and sad. Derek remembers how confused the boy had smelled.

He remembers holding the boy's hand again less than a year later, at a different kind of ceremony. That one in a cemetery. He remembers he had squeezed the hand tight, trying to assure the crying boy.

Derek remembers his own hand had been squeezed back, and the sad smile the boy had given him while the pack's emissary had droned on a year and a half later, at Talia's funeral. He remembers being angry that the fire had stolen his mother's life. He remembers the overwhelming pain from his father, from both his sisters who had clung to their betrothed spouses. The sheriff had promised him that he would catch the responsible parties. The papers mentioned a brave woman who had saved her whole family and had dedicated her life to werewolf equality. These things blur together when he remembers them, almost all of them blur. But the stand-out memory, the thing that he knows got him through, was that the boy had held on tight, understanding his pain and honoring his pledge to Derek.

He straightens his tie as watches his reflection take a deep breath. It's been eighteen years to the day since he made his first promise to the unborn baby, and by the time he makes it to the spot in the preserve it will be eleven o’clock. He meets his father in the hall and silently they walk into the woods together.

They haven't seen each other much, Derek and the boy (Derek's been told he likes to be called _Stiles_ ). Derek has run into him more around town than the few ceremonies and funerals. The grocery store, where Stiles nervously babbled about trying to feed his father right. The gas station, where they seem to cross paths the most, and they just nodded. And the pharmacy, where he found Stiles buying condoms last year.

He can't fault Stiles. Derek has had his share of _moments_ with other people. He remembers what it is to be a horny teenager. Neither of them was expected to be physically celibate. Well, until today. The vows they speak in the woods today will change everything.

Derek's twenty-three year old brain worries that the boy will say no, today. And he recognizes that he shouldn't think of him as 'the boy', but when he was five, he was told that the baby he had pledged to was a boy with a name that was unpronounceable to Derek at the time. He'd just been 'the boy' to Derek, then. The mental moniker had stuck.

An arm wraps around Derek as they walk, and he lets himself be pulled to his father who can apparently smell the worry on him. To reassure his father he says, "I'll continue to protect him, even if he decides not to go through with this. If he says no."

"Why would he say no?"

"He's young, he dates girls."

"You're young, you've dated girls. Do you want to say no?"

"No." Derek takes a deep breath. "This has been my future for... forever. I've always expected this."

His father smiled. "Stiles had never had a day in his life that he wasn't pledged. No, it's not typical for humans, but he's actually always expected to marry you." They continue silently for a few minutes before his father speaks again. "If you don't want this, we can stop it. You are a good man, and I know you will protect him, honor, care for, and comfort him. I want love for you, though. Today you promise to love, cherish, and respect each other. I want you to have someone who gives their heart on their own. I want you to love out of affection and not responsibility."

"And yet you arranged marriages for all of us?" Derek smiles and quirks a brow.

"Your mother was an alpha." His father seems to think that answers a lot of things, but he goes on when Derek keeps quiet. "There were extenuating circumstances in all of your cases. Claudia needed the protection. She worked tirelessly with your mother, she got death threats regularly, and then when she was clearly pregnant, they tried to kill her. Both of your sisters were already promised. Your pledge protected the Stilinskis. Protected all three of them. But today? Today there isn't an alpha pack demanding that werewolves are not equal but superior to humans, and who believe that they are righteous in killing those who fight for equality. And today, we are equal. For the most part."

"But what if he backs out?"

An arm snakes around Derek, hugging him close again. "He won't." The father smiles as he listens to the other two sets of determined footfalls moving toward the same destination.


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you remember the first ceremony?"

Stiles’ question cuts through Derek's thoughts as they stand outside of what they will both call home for a while. He's been mentally reviewing the day, not a bad day, not a bad wedding day. The weather had held. Deaton’s words had made sense to Derek at the ceremony, unlike the other two. Stiles had made his pledge first. Steady and firm as he placed the ring on Derek's finger. It had been the comfort that Derek had needed to calm his worry and make his own promise in a sure voice. When they had left the woods, they went to the town hall, waited for their appointment with the justice of the peace, and had made their pledges legal in the eyes of the law. There had been lunch after at a small restaurant, with their fathers and some of Derek's family. Not a boisterous celebration, but enough to fill a few hours. He'd asked if Stiles wanted to walk back to the house with him. The boy had nodded, and they walked silently back to the Hale house. Silent until Stiles had finally spoken before they went inside.

"Yes, I do. Your mother was nice; I'd met her a few times. I'd never met him, but your father had come over a couple of times." Derek crosses his arms and leans against his own car.

"Did you think it was weird?"

Derek snorts out a laugh. "I was five, and I promised to protect this... thing, a tiny human inside a person. I didn't know if you would be a boy or a girl, I didn't understand most of what Deaton said, and I thought that suddenly, I'd be a grown up. It was weird."

"Because you were going to be married?"

"Because I was going to be in charge of keeping you safe. That's what I assumed."

"It didn't work so well, did it?" Stiles mocks in a pleasant tone.

Derek nudges him with an elbow. "Having my name attached to you protected you with some things, not as much with others. I was told you and one of your friends get into trouble a lot."

"I'm inquisitive and precocious." The words are defensive but light. Stiles follows with, “Are you going to be upset if I tell you that I don't want to change my last name?"

"No, that doesn't bother me... I hadn't given it a thought before you mentioned it."

"Good." Stiles relaxes, and then stiffens again. "Are we going to have sex tonight?"

"No." Derek uncrosses his arms and feels his body ease. He hasn't been sure how to bring up the topic; he just knows he doesn't want it to wait until they were getting into bed. "Not tonight."

"So then I could go back-"

"No. We have to... soon. By the full moon before you turn eighteen. We get time to know each other better. But not unlimited time."

Stiles thinks for a moment; Derek can almost hear it. "So we have to start sleeping together tonight." Derek just nods. "But you're not going to jump my bones."

"Maybe some other day." And Derek warms a little at the excited/accelerated heartbeat in Stiles' chest. "Come on,” He takes hold of Stiles’ hand and moves through the twilight toward the house. "Come meet the rest of them."

~*~

It’s late; Stiles has school in the morning, and is brushing his teeth getting ready for bed by the time they are alone again.

"You built this?"

"My dad and I."

"This is amazing!" Stiles flops onto the bed trying to take in the room from another perspective.

"It's a room over the garage." Derek moves to the bathroom to get ready himself. He smiles at the toiletries on the counter that are mingled with his own.

"It's an open-concept apartment, with plumbing, electricity, internet and cable! There's a little kitchen in here!"

"We still eat with the family, and the TV here is small. Plus it's attached to the house, it's not like we built it from scratch."

"Dude! We have our own entrance. We could hide in here for weeks."

Derek splashes water on his face, a little nonplussed. He doesn't think that it had been that much of a feat to turn the hollow shell over the garage into an in-law apartment. "It's not big enough to hide for weeks. The fridge is tiny. Plus, the two of us in this space for an entire weekend would get old fast." He changes into sleep pants and walks back out of the bathroom. "And don't call me dude."

Stiles turns to him with his mouth open to rebuff Derek's comment but nothing comes out. Derek notices his eyes opening wider, pupils dilating slightly, and Stiles' heartbeat picks up again. Derek tries not to smirk at his spouse's reaction to his body. He pulls back the covers and sets himself down.

Stiles scooches back, sitting against the headboard. "Why eleven?"

It takes Derek a minute to figure out what Stiles is talking about. "It's two ones, two single ones, that together are far greater than the sum of their parts. It's a pair joined together for a greater purpose."

"That... makes sense."

"Get in bed. You have school in the morning."

Stiles turns off the light and climbs under the covers, but doesn't stop his questions. "Do I get to go to college?"

"Of course." Derek turns to face Stiles in the darkness. "Dad said you got into Stanford."

"Yeah, but we can't afford it. I can get more in scholarship money if I go to a UC. I got into two, waiting to hear on a third."

" _We_ can afford it, Stiles. You can go to any college you can get into."

"I mean Dad and I, you shouldn't have to pay for college."

" _We_ are we now. And if you got into Stanford, you should be able to go. If that's what you want." Derek pokes Stiles in the arm to make his point.

"Where did you go?"

"Berkeley, history and some law."

"No business? You're not going to run your mother's foundation?"

Derek chuckles and rolls onto his back again. "I'll leave that to Laura. It's her passion. I'd rather teach history, but I've found a place at the foundation, and my education helps."

"I think... I don't know where I want to go yet.”

"You've got time." Derek moves his hand under the covers, loops his pinky finger over Stiles' in support.

"If I go to Stanford, do you go with me?"

"I go wherever you go, Stiles."

Stiles moves his hand, interlacing their fingers, as his breath levels out to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles asks a lot of questions over the next week. A lot. Derek’s never met anyone so _inquisitive and precocious._ When Derek raises a brow at the tenth question in ten minutes, and Stiles uses those two words to describe himself Derek just shakes his head and goes back to whatever he’s been doing. It happens at least once a day.

Their first weekend together had been interesting. Friday night had been _Call of Duty_ night. Stiles’ friends had arrived carrying pizza. Stiles’ best friend Scott (who Derek recognized as a bitten werewolf that the Sheriff had brought to the foundation for help when it happened) brought his girlfriend (who was from a family of hunters that Derek had a … checkered past with), and she brought her best friend, and _she_ was wholly unimpressed with the game, it seemed. It had surprised Derek, nicely surprised, that he had not felt as old with the teens as he had expected. And it was nice to see a different side to his spouse. It was impressive to see him interact with smart people who respected the way Stiles’ mind worked. To see how all the questioning that came out of Stiles’ mouth turned in his head and became facts, theories and postulates. Derek liked the people Stiles had found for his friends.

Saturday morning Derek had left Stiles sleeping while he went out for a run. He’d spent a few minutes watching the sleeping form and listening to the happy mumbling. The _Yes, that. Oh! Yeah!_ had left Derek smiling for the whole five miles. He’d come back and found Stiles messily spooning sugary cereal in while he yelled at the television cartoons. They’d worked together to clean their space and then had pitched in on some yard work with the rest of the Hales. After groceries and a family dinner, they’d settled in with others in the house to watch a movie. Stiles had fit right in. Snorting with amused disdain, laughing along, and making fun comments loud enough to carry through the room, but not frequent enough to ruin the movie.

On Sunday, Stiles had gotten up to run with Derek. He had impressed Derek with nearly being able to keep up. He had impressed Derek with being able to keep up with the questions as well. Then Stiles had impressed Derek’s father by pulling out his home work, and setting up in the family kitchen while he made a big Sunday dinner where the Sheriff joined them.

Derek is pitching in on the kitchen clean up while he listens to the banter. He finds that he appreciates how well Stiles and John are fitting into the family. He likes that Stiles is not steamrolled by his family, but he doesn’t get angry when they try either. He likes that Stiles has priorities that include family, education, and wellness, but that he seems to get that fun and friends should be close behind. He likes … Stiles. He likes Stiles. Maybe even a little more than likes.

They are shutting off lights on their way to their space over the garage. Derek is smiling, Stiles is asking questions.

“Where do you guys put the Christmas tree?”

“The sitting room at the front of the house. We move the big chair.”

“You put it in the same place every year?”

“Yes. It’s the only place it fits.”

“When I go to college, are we going to live on campus?”

They’re at the bottom of the stairs when Derek places a hand on the back of Stiles’ neck. He pulls him in and kisses him. Their first kiss. It’s not raunchy and depraved, but it’s not at all demure. When Derek lets go, Stiles smiles and licks his lips.

“No, we’ll live off campus, but we’ll try to get something close. Okay?”

Stiles just nods, still smiling, rolling his lower lip in like he’s still trying to taste Derek.

“Go on up. I’m going to check around outside.”

“Don’t take long!” And Stiles sprints up the stairs.

*~*

When Derek shuts off the light and gets into bed, Stiles sits up. He reaches out and takes Derek’s far hand. Derek feels himself pulled toward Stiles’ body until his arm is wrapped around Stiles’ middle, until they’re spooning. They won’t stay like that, they are both back sleepers, but it’s more than nice to have his arms around Stiles, and to know that Stiles wants him there.

“You’re not as self-confident as you come across, are you?”

Derek smiles into the back of Stiles’ neck. “Who is?”

Stiles laughs, and when he settles down he tells Derek “I like that I’m the one that gets to see that part of you.”

Derek likes that too.


	4. Chapter 4

When Derek pulls Stiles back down onto the couch, they’ve been married for over three weeks. Stiles birthday is less than a week away, the full moon only five days after that.

Game night had been _Heavy Rain_. Scott and Stiles had wanted Derek to play. They had thought he would enjoy it. Lydia loved it. Derek liked that she sat avidly listening while he used the controller. Between them, mostly her, they’d figured it out and played well.

Scott and Stiles had made fun of _Nahmin_ , and kept pointing out all the things Allison had done wrong when she played; falling, crashing, jumping out a window after the character was emphatic that it would kill her. It had been a fun evening.

It’s even more fun now that everyone else is gone; they’re alone, and Stiles is climbing into Derek’s lap. He holds Stiles’ head in his hands, licks into his mouth, and _loves_ the feel of Stiles going slightly boneless in response.

Stiles pulls away with a “Yeah, I’ve been waiting all night for this part.” He shifts, trails kisses along Derek’s jawline, and then starts sucking bruises into Derek’s neck. The bruises will be gone soon enough, but the fun is in getting them. 

Derek moves his hands down Stiles’ back, settles for a minute on Stiles’ belt and the moves lower still. Stiles groans a bit. Starts to make a new mark, and pushes his ass into Derek’s hands. 

They both love it.

Stiles sits up, meets Derek’s eyes and then grinds forward and down. His eyes close and he groans. Derek growls.

They both love that too.

They haven’t _done_ much. Stiles knows that Dereks is freaked a little about their age difference. Derek gets that the next week won’t age Stiles significantly despite the calendar’s say-so. He knows that Stiles has had sex before, has had sex with a guy even. It’s legal, and it’s as sanctioned by the Sheriff as it’s going to be. In fact, it has to happen. But some part of his brain hesitates.

Sometimes. Sometimes some part of his brain hesitates. 

Last Saturday’s run had been interrupted by some other part of Derek surging forward. He’d pushed Stiles up against a tree, kissed him fiercely, and shoved a hand down the front of Stiles’ sweats. He’d felt heat and power; Stiles had clung to Derek’s shoulders while he was jerked off there in the woods. And the noises. 

Derek should listen to the parts of his brain that loves the noises Stiles makes.

“Hey,” Stiles says, pulling Derek’s attention from his own brooding mind and to the topic he should be focused on. “I know that you’e stuck on the fact that you’re twenty-eight percent older than I am. But I know that you like the fact that you’ll be the only werewolf I ever fuck.” Stiles enunciates the last word right into Derek’s ear. “I know you like how hot I get for you. I know you heard me jerking off in the shower yesterday. But I want to get to know your cock a lot better.” Stiles hand pushes down Derek’s chest and he starts stroking Derek through his jeans. “A lot. And tonight, you _are_ going to fuck me, or I’m going to blow your brains out, in the best way possible.”

Stiles pulls back with a smirk and meets Derek’s eyes again. “Or maybe both.”

Derek hustles them both to the bed.

*~*

He will always remember the way Stiles looked that night. The trust, heat, and _want_ in his eyes. Derek will remember the smell of Stiles just before he came. He’ll listen to that sound over and over again in his mind. That contradictory surprised/expected sound as he fell apart underneath Derek. And he’ll remember the feel of Stiles all around him. Hot and tight drawing him in; sweat slick under Derek’s fingers traveling all over Stiles’ body; breath panting against his neck,shoulder, ear; blunt nails digging into Derek’s arms. He will remember how overwhelmingly responsive Stiles was that first time, and he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to chase the feeling, to make it even better.

Derek will remember Stiles pushing for Derek’s orgasm. He’ll reflect on the filthy words, the hands grabbing at him, and the need he felt to never quite finish fucking the man he’s lucky enough to be spending the rest of his life with. 

Derek will remember.

*~*

“Do I have to be bitten?”

“No.” Derek pauses as he looks at the ceiling in the darkness while his body cools down. “Is it something you want?” He hasn’t given it a lot of thought to it; in Derek’s head, he’s been married to a human since he was five and he hasn’t thought of Stiles as anything else.

Stiles’ very quick answer is “No.” Derek is about to remind him that he can hear the lie in his words when he chimes in again. “Yes and no. And yes.”

Derek squeezes Stiles’ hand under the covers. He gets it, somewhat.

“Scott can do things… He’s stronger, faster, more … everything.” Derek can almost hear Stiles thinking. “I didn’t think much about it before Scott was bitten, but it’s… It’s got an upside.”

“There are negatives too.”

“Yeah, there are, but there are some pretty fantastic werewolves around.” Stiles tugs at Derek’s hand and Derek can practically feel Stiles’ smile.

“If it’s something you want, we can talk to my father, then Laura. If something ever happened, to save you, I’d ask her to bite you to keep you alive.” Derek tugs their clasped hands closer to him. “I like you as you are, right now; human and nearly perfect, inquisitive and precocious.”

Derek suddenly finds his arms full of precocious, inquisitive spouse.

“You are a dork.” Stiles speaks into Derek’s neck.

“You like it.” Derek feels Stiles smile.


	5. Epilogue

Derek stands applauding for the Beacon Hills High School graduates. Stiles nudges his arm slightly while he claps too. It’s a warm proud moment. Derek remembers standing in almost the same spot for Stiles’ own graduation all those years ago. He remembers the pride he had felt. He remembers standing at Stiles’ college and police academy graduations as well. He remembers the look on the Sheriff’s face at the latter. So thrilled to watch his son follow in his footsteps.

Derek remembers the apartment they had lived in while Stiles went to UCSB. He remembers sharing all of their stories, their histories, and gaining the incredible feeling of closeness that he still feels, standing next to Stiles right now.

He told Stiles about Paige, about the alpha who had been convinced that biting her would be a gift to Derek, and therefore Talia. He remembers the way Stiles had pulled Derek back against his chest, and that Stiles had just held him and listened while he actually told the sauté pan the horror and shame of having to kill Paige.

He told Stiles about Kate, about how she had played him, had used him, and had burnt down his house, killed his mother. He told Stiles about the Sheriff and her own brother bringing her in. He recalls the feel of Stiles’ tears seeping into Derek’s shirt, not in pity, but in pain over losing a mother.

He remembers hearing Stiles’ stories of failed romance, of choosing wrong and getting hurt. Derek hopes that he was able to comfort Stiles as much as Stiles comforted him.

And Derek remembers the day he realized how very lucky he has been. How very lucky he is that their mothers decided to arrange them. He knows that, left to his own devices, he probably wouldn’t have found and chosen Stiles. That if the world had been a different place, he’d be lucky to know Stiles, lucky if Stiles had his back every now and then. Derek takes the time to thank his mother every now and then.

Stiles surges forward to hug the girl in her cap and gown. Derek watches as Stiles picks her up and swings her around, pride swelling in his chest.

Derek remembers that night, when Stiles had called from the station, telling Derek that he wouldn’t be home. The pain and the shame that was evident in Stiles’ voice is what had urged Derek to drive downtown and find him. Derek remembers seeing Stiles on the floor outside a holding cell. There had been a car accident, both the driver and front passenger were dead at the scene, but the little girl in the backseat had survived. She lived and had been relegated to a cell at the police station because there were no foster homes that could take in a werewolf on the full moon (if they would even take in a werewolf at all). So Stiles and his father were sitting with her, playing with her, trying to keep her calm. They had let Derek into the cell with her. The next morning he and Stiles had filed with the state to become foster parents.

Derek smiles as he hugs Robin, congratulates her, remembering the scared little girl in the jail cell, knowing that she is so much more now. And again he is grateful. Their home feels magical. Children have come, some of them have gone on, some have stayed. All of them have made Derek’s and Stiles’ lives better. 

Later, when the four kids in the house are tucked into bed while Robin is out celebrating the end of high school, Stiles reaches over and pulls Derek’s arm around him. He sinks back and relaxes against Derek’s body. “I’m lucky to have you.” he says.

Derek smiles against the back of Stiles’ neck.

“This is where you’re supposed to tell me that you’re lucky too. Jerk.”

Derek chuckles and pulls his husband tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is schmoop. Yeah. And it's not at all what you asked for, Fairy. But you make me want to write more, and write better, so _you_ are my Swap of Joy. Thank you!


End file.
